Taking drugs probe public may be the wrong move: Fahey

John Fahey, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, says he is yet to hear a good reason for the ACC to make their investigation into drugs and organised crime in sport public.
Photo: AP

by
Claire Stewart

World Anti-Doping Agency boss, former NSW premier
John Fahey
, has criticised the Australian Crime Commission’s very public approach to investigating banned drug use and organised crime links to local sports codes.

“I’m not sure this approach to it is the right way to go," Mr Fahey told ABC Radio in London at WADA’s annual media symposium.

“I was looking for a good reason. I’m not sure I’ve heard a good reason yet."

Home Affairs Minister
Jason Clare
and the ACC revealed a week ago that there had been a year-long probe into the use of banned drugs in sport, with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigating whether proscribed substances had been administered as supplements to players in the Australian Football League and National Rugby League.

Mr Clare defended the decision of the ACC and the federal government to go public about the report, saying he felt it was important to tell the public what was going on.

“There is no alternative than to provide that information," he told media on Wednesday. “If the report had been buried we would have been criticised for not putting it out.

“The crime commission made the deliberate decision to sound the alarm by putting the report out, for this reason because they want to prevent this from getting any worse than it already is."

But Mr Fahey said the expected lag until the public learnt the true extent was not good for sport.

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“My regret is that they did it in such a general manner and, as a result of announcing it when they did, there will be a long time that will elapse before we know how bad, how extensive, which codes, which teams, which players, which athletes," he said.

“I’m afraid it’s not likely that the cloud that is hanging over our head right now is going to be removed any time soon."

“We put the help line in place because history has shown it is better to support and encourage people to come forward," NRL boss Dave Smith said on Tuesday.Board members and coaches at some NRL clubs have slammed the ACC and ASADA’s media strategy, saying it is a method they had to use because they don’t have enough evidence from their own investigations.

“It’s bulls--t," one Souths board member who declined to be named told The Australian Financial Review on Tuesday.

ACC chief executive John Lawler said the decision to go public about the report was made because it delivered an “important message of public safety about drugs" .